School board approves sale of Harmon Field

The board approved the $25,000 offer, as well as a 10-year lease agreement for the 10th Street walking track, from the City of Stuttgart after hearing from Parks and Recreation Director Austin Hayes.

Stephanie Fischer @SDL_Stephanie

The Stuttgart School District Board of Directors approved the sale of Harmon Field and its adjacent parking lot during Tuesday's regularly scheduled meeting at the district's administration building.

The board approved the $25,000 offer, as well as a 10-year lease agreement for the 10th Street walking track, from the City of Stuttgart after hearing from Parks and Recreation Director Austin Hayes.

Hayes said the Stuttgart Parks and Recreation Department plans to "make Harmon Field what it was 30 years ago." He said the field would mainly host the city's peewee football program, but would also serve as an overflow site for peewee football, and possibly soccer, tournaments in the future.

Hayes said the department plans on making $110,000 to $120,000 worth of improvements to the Harmon property. The updates would include new concession stands and restrooms, as well as new fencing and adding gravel to the parking lot. Sandlot baseball fields would also be added for public use. Hayes said Harmon Field would have a policy similar to Reinsch Complex or the John Cain Aquatic Center — facilities would be open to the public, but Stuttgart parks programs would have priority.

Hayes and board member Chris Morgan agreed that the city's plans for the property would meet the requirements laid out in the Harmon property deed. Should the city fail to meet those requirements, the property would revert ownership back to the Harmon Trust.

The city purchased approximately 4.75 acres of the 12-plus acre Harmon property. When asked why the city did not want to buy all of the property, Hayes said he was not aware the district was interested in selling all of it. The city was only made aware of the potential sale of the field and adjacent parking lot. Hayes said he would discuss possibly purchasing the remainder of the property with the Parks and Recreation Commission.

The board also approved a 10-year agreement to lease the walking track between Ninth and 10th streets to the city for $1. According to Hayes, the city originally entered into a similar lease agreement with the school district in 1991. The lease was extended in 1996, before expiring in 2006. The lease stated that the city would lease the track property for $1 and maintain the grounds. Hayes said the city continued upkeep of the property after the lease expired seven years ago under the impression it was a long-term agreement.

The board tabled discussion on the sale of the Clary property. Stuttgart Municipal Waterworks Director Tommy Lawson discussed the city's plans for the property if the sale was approved.Lawson said the city was not interested in purchasing the Clary building but offered $10,000 per acre for the adjacent seven- or eight-acre property. Lawson said the city would consider purchasing the building if necessary. He said the city and school district could possibly enter into an agreement allowing the district to use the building if it was purchased by the city. Lawson said the structure may eventually need to be torn down, however.

School Board President Henry Newby said the board is willing to work with the city, but he is concerned that if the district retains the Clary building after selling the property, it may have a "white elephant" on its hands. Newby said "the value is in the property" and the district may not be able to sell the building later.

Should the city consider purchasing both the Clary building and surrounding property, a new appraisal would be needed.

Board member Napolean Davis said the district should consider its future storage needs before selling the Clary building. The structure currently serves as storage for the district. Morgan pointed out that "Clary is a very expensive storage building" and suggested considering alternatives.

In other business:

• During the student showcase, Stuttgart High School EAST Lab students Brannon Herring, Brenda Thompkins and Antonio Wiley discussed their project on the city's water flow and flooding issues. Several Stuttgart Junior High School students were on hand to discuss the survey they conducted about bullying at SJHS.

• The board approved changes to the Parental Involvement Plan and voted to continue using Ramsey, Krug, Farrell and Lensing as its school board liability insurance provider.• The board approved a $7,600 bid from Studdard Construction to repair the glue laminated beam damage in the Meekins Middle School gym.

• The Master Plan Facilities and public comments were requested and approved.

• Paula Mannis, the district's Local Education Agency supervisor, was authorized by the board to designate a surrogate parent when the parents of the child are not known; parents cannot be located; or if the child is a ward of the state. The Arkansas Department of Education Special Education Services requires each district to assign an individual to act as a surrogate (stand in) for the parent and ensure the rights of a child are protected.

• The board tabled a vote on a construction contract from Nabholz. Bids were placed for the Stuttgart High School HVAC project, and Nabholz submitted a contracted for the subcontracted amounts totaling $1,964,471. Newby said the contract was the same as the previous contract submission from the company, except the latter version included prices. After several minutes of discussion the board voted to table the measure to get more information on construction costs.

• In his superintendent's report, Dr. Melvin Bryant said the district is determining what type of hardware (Chrome Books, iPads, etc.) to use for its One on One Technology program. The Hall Pass visitor management equipment has arrived but the district is waiting on a technician for installation and training. Two bids were taken to replace the Meekins Middle School intercom system, but Bryant is seeking a third bid before making a recommendation to the board. Officials will be in the district Nov. 18 for the annual audit.

Read about the district's annual Report the Public in tomorrow's edition of the Daily Leader.